We actually got back on Friday night, after a half-hour delay to our flight. This time, I don’t think British Airways were at fault, since a South African Airways flight was also delayed. We have flown twice between PE and Johannesburg in the last 6 months (the first time being in November when my grandfather passed), so the crew in the Passenger Aid Units (who help anyone that needs it get on and off the plane) know us pretty well.

The PE crew told us that they had the article from the La Femme, which is the Wednesday supplement for the Herald newspaper, on their office wall. As the plane was about to take off, and the cabin crew were going through the safety checks, they ended with the announcement that we had just been married and were returning from our honeymoon and presented us with a bottle of wine.

Marc’s father picked us up from the airport and drove us home. Since it was so late, we just watched a recording or two before going to bed

We woke up early the next morning (if you call 8am early) and went to pick up TJ from the kennels. From there, we went to Wetnose Animal Rescue Centre in Pretoria (Marc got rather frustrated because there had been no map on the site to get us there). I wanted to adopt from there, because they had been my first choice when looking for a pal for Fayth way back when we were still living in Midrand, before we adopted TJ. I knew that they would be able to give me some history on the dogs there and help me make a good choice.

Unfortunately, their grounds are not 100% wheelchair friendly, but with some help from the groundstaff, I was able to view the dogs. I nearly made a choice from the second kennel we saw – both had about 6 dogs in each, but then was reminded that there were more in another area. So we went through and began looking at rows of dogs. I can’t tell you how many we saw.

When I first saw Pumba, I knew he was perfect. Except for the colouring of his coat and a shorter tail, he looked a lot like TJ. My second choice was a quiet female Jack Russel, a few cages over, but we never got to look at her outside the kennel, because TJ and Pumba got on from the moment they saw each other. Marc filled out the paperwork and we took him home.

So far, things are going well, except for the fact that Pumba seems to have forgotten his house-training. Either that, or he’s been trying to mark his territory. Each time we’ve caught him, we’ve reprimanded him and he’s done it less today. Except for a small puddle at Marc’s bathroom door, we’ve been pee-free today. Whether TJ did it in defiance (the door was open and the puddle was in the middle of the doorway) or Pumba did it, I don’t know, but both dogs were banished outside.

It was while I had the front door closed to keep the dogs out that Marc came home from shopping. I did not hear him shouting at the front gate to fetch the shopping because of my ear infection. For the first time, my left ear is also infected (probably because I was messing with it on Friday night). It feels swollen and I’m hearing a constant “wooshing” sound. So that got him annoyed.

I know I checked the ground before I started taking the shopping in and did not see anything, but between trips, I rode through a fresh poop and rode through the house with it. That really ticked him off and he moaned at me again that I don’t look where I’m going.

I have just checked the length of this entry and realised it’s getting rather long. I know I’ve got to tell you all about my wedding day and my honeymoon and put up pictures. I’ll do my best to get most done before I go back to work on Wednesday.

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